ISLAMABAD: At least three legislators of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party were offered cash in return for their support to the crucial confidence motion proposed against the prime minister by the opposition alliance, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry claimed.
But Chaudhry neither disclosed their identities nor revealed who made the offer to the MPs who included a minority parliamentarian and a female legislator.
Earlier this month, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced the alliance of major opposition parties had decided to move a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan and would contact the government’s allies in the Centre for this purpose.
“All parties in the PDM have agreed on bringing a no-confidence motion against these illegitimate rulers and contacting the government’s allies in this regard,” he had told the media.
Last Thursday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said the motion is “a risk worth taking” since the prime minister was “on his last legs”.
She was responding to a question if PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif would resign from his position if the “no-confidence gamble” failed.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairmen Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also met Sharif and Nawaz earlier this month in Lahore and agreed to leave their differences behind for the “common cause” of sending Khan home.
Chaudhry, who was talking to media in Islamabad, said the trio of MPs was offered money to favour the vote in what he termed as “a shameful instance.”
He dared the opposition to table the no-trust motion within 24 hours as he dubbed Zardari and Sharif the “two big traders”, accusing them of meeting to discuss the “contributions they would make for horse-trading”.
He further said a meeting of the ruling party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) in Islamabad expressed complete confidence in the leadership of Khan.
The meeting was called by the prime minister to take the parliamentary party into confidence about his Russia visit.
The meeting appreciated the independent foreign policy being pursued by the government.
Chaudhry said Khan, in an interview with Russian state-owned RT television, made it clear that Pakistan will not become part of any political bloc.
He said Khan’s Moscow visit has gained great significance in view of the incumbent international scenario. He said all eyes were now on the meeting between Prime Minister Khan and President Vladimir Putin.
The minister said the CEC also discussed the current political situation in the country.
In his comments on the occasion, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib said a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board will be held to gauge the capability and ability of our candidates for the upcoming local government elections in Punjab.
He said the people of Pakistan stand by Prime Minister Khan and one saw its most recent manifestation in a public gathering in Mandi Bahauddin.
He said Khan’s public contact campaign will continue after his return from Moscow.
